There have always been many scammers. They are looking for easy ways and easy money, they are looking for a victim to deceive. Recently, more and more often these victims are apartment owners who order repair . If to cosmetic repairs can still be done independently, then with major repairs or finishing new apartment can't handle it on his own. And it’s not always justified to do repairs yourself without sufficient skills, equipment and materials - it’s more expensive for yourself. There are a lot of offers on the construction services market, but deception by unscrupulous craftsmen is also common.
In order to protect yourself from scammers when renovating an apartment or house, there are two basic principles to remember.
The first “law” of such protection says: “cheap cheese is only in a mousetrap.” In practice, its application looks like this: if you are offered to do the work quickly, efficiently and - very cheaply (!), then it’s time to be wary.
Agree that any self-respecting master who is capable of doing repairs at a decent level is unlikely to charge low wages for it: today there are few people who do not need money at all. Therefore, most likely, the person who offers you such “fabulous” conditions is somewhat disingenuous: think several times before agreeing to such an offer.
The second condition that it will be difficult to deceive you when performing repairs smoothly follows from this rule: work only with time-tested companies and individuals. If you yourself don’t have such people in mind, then contact your friends and they will probably tell you the right phone number.
The advantage of such “protection” is the guarantee that if a person (or company) has been renovating premises for a long time and has a good reputation, then it is very doubtful that for a few thousand rubles he will discredit himself for a long time and will lose his job. In addition, if you give such a person an advance or money to buy materials, then he is unlikely to disappear with them (as scammers often do), you know where to look for him. But, still, even in this case, you can protect yourself and ask the employee for identification documents and copy down their numbers and other distinctive “signs”
Repair business scammers They place an ad in which they promise to make repairs quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively. When negotiating with clients, they actually name a small payment amount and indicate short time carrying out work. The team asks for a small advance, an estimate is drawn up, and it is agreed upon who will purchase the building materials (the customer himself or the contractor). Further events develop according to several possible scenarios.
Often, after the first meeting, at which an estimate is drawn up and an advance payment is transferred (often along with money for building materials), the contractor simply disappears with the money. It becomes impossible to reach him by phone, it is unknown where to look for him, the victim does not have any agreement or receipt for receiving money.
An unscrupulous contractor can actually start repairs. But he will do it hastily, without following the technology. Instead of expensive, high-quality materials included in the estimate, he will purchase cheap, low-quality materials, pocketing the difference. After completing the work, such a contractor disappears, stops answering phone calls, or answers but brushes aside all claims.
And the customer has a lot of complaints already in the first weeks after the repair, when the wallpaper and tiles begin to fall off. It is almost impossible to force a contractor to redo his hack work. As a rule, it is not possible to get back your money, both paid to the unscrupulous contractor and spent on dismantling the disgrace left by him and redoing the repairs.
To avoid such situations, do not look for cheap and quick repair
. Remember the saying about free cheese and at the same time, at least superficially study the deadlines for certain works. For example, concrete screed It dries on the floor for about three weeks, during which no other work should be carried out in this room under any circumstances. And if the repair team claims that they will finish major renovation the entire apartment in a month, then it is better to refuse cooperation immediately than to redo it later.
Do not transfer any advance payment until the contract has been concluded. When giving an advance or money for building materials, ask for a receipt from the contractor. Carefully monitor the purchased building materials to ensure they comply with the estimate (first of all, the name and quantity must match).
What is the deception?
If we're talking about about renovating a new apartment or major renovations, scammers can take money in advance and disappear along with expensive building materials. If you started partial renovation, for example, in one room, then one terrible day you may find yourself faced with a bitter reality - there are no more valuable things in the house, as well as swindler builders.
What need to do?
To begin with, divide the apartment into zones. Completely clear the area where construction workers will live of your belongings. Believe me, this is a reasonable precaution. Still, the builders are strangers and you don’t know them. Will you be pleased to enter a renovated bathroom and, noticing strange prints on your toothbrush, wonder who did what with it? Most likely no. Therefore, it is better to work hard and put all your things (not only valuable ones) away from strangers.
A clean builder is a good builder
Everyone understands that construction glue, putty and other building materials are difficult to wash off. A builder will not come to you in a white coat. But if he doesn’t smell, his hair is clean, there’s no three-day stubble and no bad breath – you can relax a little. Of course, it may turn out that this clean swindler began to play this role for the first time today, but usually clean builders are good builders. The same applies to their speech. Foul language does not add intelligence to a person. If a builder smokes in your house without permission, feel free to kick him out.
How to avoid being scammed?
As already mentioned, choose only trusted companies or craftsmen recommended by friends to carry out renovations in your apartment. Ask the company's office about the work performed, ask for photographs. Pay attention to the builders themselves, sometimes a lot can be said just by appearance and human habits.
In any case, if you have used the services of a serious company or have decided that the renovation of your apartment will be done by an individual craftsman or an independent team, try to follow a number of rules that can help complete the renovation without wasting your nerves:
1. Try to conclude a written contract for the implementation repair work. Although, alas, in the case of private owners this can be done extremely rarely.
2. If you are not doing renovations in a new building, do not give the masters the keys to your apartment.
3. Make photocopies of the passports of the people you hired to do the repairs.
4. Do not give any advance payment and, especially, do not lend money to workers under any circumstances. To purchase materials for repairs, go to the construction market or to the store together with a foreman or foreman.
Work only with proven professionals! Don't fall for scammers' tricks!
This scary word“repair”... Foreman Alexander Veselov, who organized more than 400 successful repairs in Moscow, spoke about how to distinguish bad workers from monstrous ones.
1 The workers will beg you to trust them to purchase all the materials. Don't agree. Otherwise, the cost of a bag of cement will be comparable to the annual budget of Cote d'Ivoire.
Counter attack
Buy all the materials yourself. At the very least, go on a tour of construction markets or on the Internet, where you can always find not only optimal prices, but also approximate estimates. Remember the prices and repeat them when communicating with workers as a protective mantra.
The workers don't have tools and they say you have to buy them yourself.
Counter attack
You can just send them away. It is not necessary to beat someone for attempting blatant extortion.
Workers often ask to live in an apartment that is being renovated. At the same time, they have a very Samaritan character and are happy to do repairs at your neighbors, in the neighboring area, and generally anywhere, just not at yours. And don’t be surprised if, when you suddenly arrive at the apartment, you find there a worker’s mother, for whom the climate of Azerbaijan is very harmful. And after the workers leave, telephone bills will suddenly show strange, unfamiliar codes and four-digit sums in rubles.
Counter attack
Call the PBX in advance and ask to block the “eight”. And no permanent residence- let them work under your supervision. Even if it is only two or three hours a day, the repair will not take long.
Workers may name unrealistically compressed or unrealistically inflated repair deadlines. In the first case, speed increases at the expense of quality. The second means that the workers have a lot of orders besides yours, so the repairs will be carried out in their free time and from leftover building materials.
Counter attack
For repairs studio apartment area about 20 sq. It should take a team of three people a week.
Most brigades work on the principle “we can’t live here.” Sockets can be glued to the wallpaper, forgetting to supply electricity to them, and pipes made of cheap plastic can be walled into the walls.
Counter attack
Control the process at all stages, especially when laying hidden communications. Otherwise, your neighbors will also have to pay for repairs.
Multiply all terms and prices by two. Three is better. Write down all expenses. Don't pay everything at once, pay in portions. And enter into an agreement with the workers, according to which they are obliged to compensate you for all delays and damages. Of course, you won't get any money back from them. You'll just pay less than you promised.
Dictionary
Remember three basic words: level, slope and plumb. Using any of them with a serious expression on the face makes builders feel guilty and want to fall into the ground. Because, as a rule, they do not have a level or plumb line, which is why the slopes turn out crooked.
Homeowners face the need for repairs at least once in their lives.
However, in the vast majority of cases, a person who has nothing to do with construction will not be able to cope with major repairs or finishing of a new apartment. The only way out of this situation is to turn to the construction services market. When choosing specialists, you need to be careful, since the likelihood of coming across an unscrupulous master is quite high.
The first step is to decide who to turn to for services - private craftsmen, a construction team, or a specialized company.
Private repairman
First, let's consider the option of cooperation with a private builder. It is believed that such a specialist is the least reliable. The so-called “human factor” plays a huge role here. In this situation, the customer has no guarantee that the work will be completed. Such a master can easily get sick, find another, more profitable order for him, or suddenly refuse work without any explanation.
Finding another specialist who will agree to complete the work will be very problematic. This is fraught unnecessary costs and wasting your time. And the quality of such repairs will noticeably deteriorate.
The sudden disappearance of a builder is the lesser of two evils. It's much scarier to meet a real swindler
The master fraudster, pretending to be a highly qualified specialist, inspects his apartment together with an inexperienced customer, names the amount that will suit the owner of the apartment, and asks for an advance payment. The customer, without thinking twice, pays for part of the work. After this, the specialist leaves and never gets in touch again.
In order to avoid falling for scammers, you must do the following. You should not immediately agree to a price that suits you. Always check the builder's documents. And of course, when choosing a specialist, listen to the advice of friends and relatives.
Construction team
At first glance, this option seems more reliable than the previous one. However, there are also pitfalls here.
The reality is that most construction crews are made up of Central Asians. In this case the main driving force throughout the process, there will be a desire to quickly finish the work and go home with honestly (or not so honestly) earned money. The quality of the repair will noticeably suffer. Unfortunately, many flaws will be difficult to notice immediately. And after some time, when the customer manages to do this, it will be almost impossible to find would-be builders.
There are pitfalls to be expected on the other side as well. In any construction team, the workers are led by a foreman. Most likely, this person will not try to cheat during repairs, but he can cheat in every possible way when concluding a contract. For example, when drawing up an estimate, completely different dimensions of the apartment may be indicated, and somewhere below in small print it will be stated that the work must be paid as it is completed. As a result, an inexperienced customer will be forced to pay an amount significantly higher than the original one. It will no longer be possible to fix anything. Therefore, you should not agree to such payment terms. It is much better if you agree on a fixed price and a specific time frame for the repair.
In any case, in order not to be deceived when hiring a construction team, you must carefully study the contract and focus on the reviews of “live” clients. It would be ideal if you have the opportunity to inspect the previous jobs of these specialists. As they say, it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times.
Construction firm
There is an opinion that if a client contacts a “serious” company specializing in repairs, then, with a high probability, the work will be done efficiently and the entire procedure will be “transparent”. Most likely this will indeed be the case. Now there are many companies that honestly fulfill orders and value their reputation. Usually they work for more than one year, have a certificate of registration and registration tax accounting, your own office, telephone, website and many positive reviews.
However, even in such an official environment you can come face to face with scammers. And most likely, they will be more skillfully prepared than in the two cases discussed earlier.
First of all, you should pay attention to whether the company provides a guarantee for the services provided, because in case of claims, the customer should have the right to go to court.
Just like when hiring a private repairman, you should not “peck” at low price. Cheapness in this area is a clear sign of fraud. Even before concluding a contract, it is advisable to visit the company’s office; unscrupulous specialists will fuss until the last minute and offer to meet in another place.
The timing of the work depends on the size of the living space and the building in which the apartment is located. Repair in the socket Soviet era usually lasts no more than 2-3 months. In a new building, work can last up to six months.
An important detail: if during the renovation you have furniture or Appliances, then be sure to make a detailed inventory of your property in the presence of a company representative.
How do builders cheat?
Most of all, you should be wary of carrying out work without a contract and guarantees. Also, workers can change the price, skip some technological steps and purchase materials not indicated in the estimate. However, there are cases when the customers themselves advocate the absence of a contract, trying to deceive the builders.
Inspection of the object
When inspecting the object, the foreman, pretending to knowledgeable person, can either greatly inflate the cost of the work, or simply hide their unprofessionalism. The second can lead to dire consequences.
Agreement
Absolutely any work must be based on a contract. Without it, there are many reasons to make repairs differently from what the customer required, or to greatly inflate the price. Don't underestimate its importance.
Also when preparing everyone necessary documents, especially at large facilities, it is imperative to provide everything down to the smallest detail, including wiring diagrams, ventilation, plumbing and even insurance.
Estimate
Repairmen can easily deceive the customer in the following way. The estimate will list the types of work and their cost, but the quantity will not be indicated. They will definitely start whining: “We’ll figure it out as we go along” or “It’s difficult to name the exact price.”
Under no circumstances should you agree to such conditions. The estimate must include the price of all work. It must also indicate who will be involved in the search, purchase, transportation of materials and preparation of the facility for repairs.
In order to make an estimate, you need some knowledge in this area. However, you can do this yourself.
Guarantees
Many defects during repairs are not immediately visible. There is too little likelihood that the next day after the work is completed, the wallpaper in the apartment will begin to peel off, the linoleum will swell, and the plaster will collapse.
No one is immune from problems in six months or a year. Especially if the repairs were carried out by private teams, which, unfortunately, do not provide any guarantees.
Many customers do not resort to the services of companies, fearing a strong blow to their wallet. In practice, it usually turns out that the cost of work by specialized firms is no more than 30% more expensive than the cost of private traders.
However, even if the price turns out to be 1.5-2 times higher, it is still better to issue a guarantee for most of the services. After all, unscrupulous repairs can lead to the most serious material damage.
In the end, you shouldn’t hope that cheap workers who don’t give guarantees will complete the repairs efficiently and on time.
Price fraud
Most the right way“rip off” the customer as much as possible more money upon completion of the work - do not enter into an agreement with him and do not draw up an estimate.
It would seem that a well-drafted estimate would allow such moments to be avoided. Yes, in most cases this is what happens. However, in some situations, even this will not save the client from losses. You can easily include cheap and low-quality work in the estimate instead of what was promised. In this case, the deception will not be detected immediately, and the durability of such repairs will noticeably decrease.
Payment procedure
If builders require advance payment, then under no circumstances should you agree to such conditions. There is a certain risk that specialists will run away with the money without finishing the work. It is recommended to pay for repairs in stages, after completion of a certain part of the work. In this case, the likelihood of losing money is significantly reduced.
However, you should not go too far or delay payments at all. This is fraught with the departure of specialists to another, more profitable facility.
Purchase of low quality materials
When drawing up an estimate, in no case should you forget to indicate specific names of goods and names of manufacturing companies. For example, the difference in price between imported and domestic paint can be quite significant, so builders will certainly be tempted to save a lot.
It will also not be difficult for would-be repairmen to buy cheap products and ask them to issue a check for a completely different product. For this reason, you should always inspect builders' purchases in person. There is nothing to be ashamed of here, because goods purchased in this way may well be hazardous to health.
What to do if the builders have already cheated
Article 162 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation states that “failure to comply with the simple written form of a transaction deprives the parties of the right in the event of a dispute to refer to witness testimony to confirm the transaction and its terms, but does not deprive them of the right to provide written and other evidence.”
In simple terms, this means that in order to prove the guilt of the builders, an agreement must be in place.
However, even if you didn’t sign it, you shouldn’t give up. It is advisable to go to court, having previously prepared all the documents confirming the completion of the work, their unsatisfactory quality, as well as the transfer of funds.
If you have a friend who is well versed in construction, then invite him to supervise the repair process (of course, not for free). He, unlike a foreman unknown to you, will really be able to monitor the quality of work.
If the object is large or expensive, then use the special “construction and installation risks insurance” program. For any specific work, it is recommended to hire companies that specialize in this particular area.
Try to visit the site at least once a week and discuss with the builders various nuances repair. This way you can avoid losses or any conflict situations.
Take repairs seriously. This is not a trip to the store for milk, but a reconstruction of your living space, in which you will most likely live for many more years
One of Murphy’s laws says: “Usually, only after work we understand where we should have started.” Not long ago we came across interesting selection: ordinary people who made the repairs on their own share their recommendations and various mistakes they made in the process. All comments are based solely on personal experience and express the personal opinions of people who experienced the renovation.
We are sure that after reading the selection, you will be able to avoid many standard mistakes when renovating your apartment.
“So, what I would never do again if I were to renovate again:
1. Linoleum is terrible, and whitewashing ceilings is doubly stupid.
2. I don't trust my wife to do the repairs. Let her do it under the guidance of a designer. Otherwise, most of the apartments of my friends are no different from each other - they copy each other where necessary and not necessary.
3. In the kitchen it is better to provide a box under the corrugation for the hood.
4. I will never share a kitchen cutting area with a hob!
5. I will never use carpet!
6. I'll never hang it upper cabinets kitchens above the eye line!
7. I wouldn't put laminate flooring in the kitchen parquet board. The first leak - and everything swelled...
8. I shouldn't have put it kitchen furniture along the entire wall in a rectangular kitchen, it is much more convenient to place it at an angle.
9. I won’t skimp on plumbing and tiles: then it will look bad for several years, but you won’t be able to redo it.
10. It was in vain that they made a small dressing room so that more space left in the room. These half-meters will not save the room, and when the dressing room is jam-packed, you won’t be able to build another one.
11. Based on my full knowledge, I would never do the wiring of electricity in the apartment without first making a plan for arranging the furniture.
12. A lot of open shelves with a lot of souvenirs. This is a real dust collector!
13. Do not install sockets “in the floor”. Very inconvenient, they are constantly open, dust accumulates and it is impossible to clean the floor properly.
14. Don't forget to install sockets right in the bathroom for a hair dryer, electric manicure set and razor. You can have one, but then choose a mirror that also has built-in sockets like an extension cord.
15. Provide rheostats (dimmers) in the child’s bedroom so that the light turns on slowly, rather than abruptly.
16. Make a warm floor. In principle, at first you don’t even have to turn it on, but it’s better to do it right away.
17. It is better to choose halogen bulbs with an angle of inclination rather than rigidly fixed ones.
18. If the wiring is old, replace it completely. By the way, it would be good to write down (or take a photograph with measurements) its location, otherwise you won’t get into the wiring later.
19. Provide an entrance to the apartment for all possible cables (wide cable channel).
20. The switches are all “Euro” (at a height of 80-90 cm) - so that children can turn on the light without jumping.
21. Light and socket on the balcony just in case.
22. Lighting in the kitchen above work surface(built-in lights in the kitchen canopy are beautiful, but not functional).
23. Use two switches/switches - at the entrance and at the bed in the bedroom, so as not to get out of bed, wanting to turn off the light. The same goes for the long corridor.
24. Warm floors must have a timer, otherwise if you turn it on in the morning, it warms up in 2 hours.
25. Select a location for the counter in advance. And now the hallway cannot be built properly. The meter hangs poorly, and it’s scary to drill into the wall above it - the wires.
26. Doors with glass insert We didn’t like it: if the child falls asleep in the room, the light in the corridor glows.
27. Fire-resistant materials should be placed near hot surfaces. We have polypropylene trim near the chimney glass on the wall - it melted.
28. The batteries do not need to be sewn up too tightly; you need to leave access to their overlap.
29. If you are going to make built-in wardrobes or chests of drawers to order, be sure to level the walls!
30. You need to think through the little things in advance. After the renovation, we bought an 80-liter water heater and decided to install it in the toilet; we needed an outlet and had to cut new wallpaper.
31. When installing the bathroom, no borders were placed on the wall where it meets the tiles, but simply rubbed silicone sealant... Bottom line: there is always water in the corners.
32. We have very beautiful Spanish tiles in our kitchen, one minus is that the chamfers are very deep, all sorts of dirt quickly accumulates there and is difficult to wash out. It was necessary to choose something that was absolutely smooth, but not glossy, and that there were almost no chamfers.
33. The sockets are a problem. You need a lot more of them than you think, especially in the kitchen. It’s better not single ones, but double ones: the price is the same, but you won’t be overjoyed later.
34. When installing the bathtub, make sure that the bowl is tilted towards the drain, otherwise the water will hardly flow out if the bathtub is placed level.
35. Don't forget about the heated towel rail!
36. The sewer pipe is very noisy when the neighbors upstairs use the toilet. Good for everyone plastic pipes, but they make a fair amount of noise, so make soundproofing - wrap the pipe with something.
37. Stretch ceilings are great! Do it for the whole apartment at once and bargain with the company where you will order.
38. I would never make a corner dryer in the kitchen - it’s very inconvenient.
39. Do not use white grout for tiles in the kitchen - it will look dirty.
40. Warm floors wherever there are tiles are a must.
41. When installed interior doors, it didn’t even occur to me that the switch should be next to the handle that opens the door. And we hung them so that the switch was on the side of the hinges.
42. If there is any space you can donate to your pantry, do it! Vacuum cleaners, roller skates, sleds, skis, New Year's toys, mops, basins, buckets, household appliances that we don’t use every day - everything is there.
43. We have dark merbau parquet. It looks very nice, but on such a dark floor, especially on a sunny day, every speck of dust is visible, so you have to clean it every day.
44. In the toilet, bathroom (and anywhere where there is a lot of moisture) it is necessary suspended ceiling. It’s beautiful, nothing swells, doesn’t fall off, but the most important thing is that if your neighbors flood you, the water does not spread widely throughout your apartment, but collects in this very ceiling. He saved us twice already. Then they called the craftsmen, they removed part of the ceiling, drained the water and installed it back.
45. In the bathroom, sockets must be waterproof (with a lid) - washing machine, hair dryer, razor and electric toothbrush are simply vital.
46. We need forced exhaust in the bathroom.
47. Make hidden places for storage (for example, buckets, rags, chemicals and other household supplies).
48. I would fork out for a designer so I could see the whole picture at once! There are a lot of things I don’t like precisely because they haven’t been thought through.
49. Door handles with sharp corners - from time to time someone touches them with their hand or something else, it hurts and clothes tear.
50. I will never put “fluffy” wallpaper in the nursery that can be torn off while falling asleep. The children pick at it with their fingers all the time - they've already torn off everything near the bed.
51. I would have found out all the exact dimensions of the furniture before the renovation. In the kitchen, the sofa we want to buy has a backrest height of 90 cm - the switch for the sconce starts at a height of 86 cm. It hit the backrest.
53. We went through a major renovation and realized that the most important thing is not to skimp on materials: wallpaper, paint, glue - everything must be of good quality!
54. I have a lot of bad moments in the kitchen. For example, a small ceramic granite sink: now I have a pile of dishes next to it waiting in line for the dishwasher. I ordered few retractable mechanisms - it seemed expensive, but it had to be done. I shouldn’t have ordered translucent glass doors - you can see everything that’s on the shelves.”
A short summary of this long list
- Think carefully about everything in advance, if possible, create a full-fledged design project, including plans for electrics, sockets, heated floors, and furniture arrangement.
- Don't skimp on quality materials and plumbing - the difference will be noticeable.
- The secret to creating a functional and comfortable interior: heated floors, a large number of sockets and storage spaces.
Recently, customer complaints about deception during apartment renovations by unscrupulous competitors have become more frequent. There are several ways to deceive clients. Let's look at the main ones.
Method one - fraud
The construction team takes an advance from the Customer and simply hides, turning off their phones or changing mobile numbers and dummy websites. Those. the brigade initially did not intend to fulfill its obligations under the contract, which is a common fraud.
If you are not confident in the Company's reputation, do not pay advances for work. The normal practice is to pay for work upon completion. Prepayment is possible only for materials.
In the Fundament Group of Companies, payment for both the development of a design project and for repair and construction work is made upon completion and acceptance by the Customer of each stage. As an exception, for Customers who are confident in the Fundament Group of Companies, a bonus is provided in the amount of a 10% discount for full prepayment and trust in the Company.
According to statistics from the Fundament Group of Companies, only 45% of Customers are ready to pay the entire amount at once.
Method two is not professionalism
Having taken an advance from the Customer, the team performs the work poorly and unprofessionally, which leads to the termination of the contract with this team, and considerable funds have already been spent on materials.
Statistics show that such companies do not return advances or compensate for damaged materials. On the contrary, constant threats against the Customer begin.
If, nevertheless, you are ready to pay an advance, but this is your first time working with the Company, then you do not need to pay large amounts. Let there be several small advances of 20-50 thousand rubles. After the workers complete the work for the advance amount, the next small payment is made, etc.
The Fundament Group of Companies does not practice working with partial advances at all.
Method three - low wages for workers
Having lured the Customer with a low cost, an unscrupulous company hires unskilled workers who are unable to perform high-quality repairs. In this case, most often the workers simply live in the Customer’s apartment for free, and carry out repairs somewhere in neighboring apartments. As a result, the Customer loses both time and money.
If the company offers low cost repairs, ask the company how many workers will perform the repairs and how long it will take to complete the entire repair.
If you are offered to renovate an apartment with an area of 80 sq.m. with a guarantee from the Company for only 5,000 rubles. per sq.m. – this is a reason to be wary and take a calculator. The company usually pays workers 50% to 70% of the cost of the work. The rest of the money goes to managers, foremen, etc. Even if you count at the maximum, then 70% of 400 thousand rubles is 280 thousand rubles. Repairs in compliance with all technologies will be completed in approximately 3 months by a team of three people. In total, each worker will earn an average of 31 thousand rubles per month. Considering the fact that it is rare that small companies can afford to pay 70% of the contract to workers, the real wage will be significantly less. The qualifications of the workers and the quality of the repairs performed will be appropriate.
Remember that for the 4th quarter of 2013, the minimum wage of a skilled worker cannot be less than 50-60 thousand rubles. per month.
Method four - extortion of money
After signing the contract, the foreman begins to extort money from the customer - for food or travel for workers, for tools, for Consumables and so on. As practice shows, repairs with such teams are never completed.
If an agreement has already been concluded and such conversations begin, we recommend immediately terminating such agreements, and if they refuse to return the advance, filing a statement with the police regarding fraud and extortion.
In the Fundament Group of Companies, foremen are generally prohibited from taking cash from Customers. All payments are made according to payment documents in the office or through the bank.
Method five - subcontractors
The repair contract indicates a completely different company than the one indicated in the name of the official website. Most often, this is simply a subcontractor to whom the Customer was transferred for a fee (or “kickback”). This subcontractor has no relation to the company listed on the site and to the photographs of work published on the site.
In case of poor-quality repairs or damaged materials, it will be impossible to find the culprit, because It is not clear from whom the contract was legally concluded.
Before concluding an agreement, it would not hurt to visit the office of the Company, the address of which is indicated on the website, to see who works there and whether they work at all, or whether all employees are subcontracted. It is better to come to the office without calling in advance - this will allow you to see the real office of the company “without cuts”.
Often the website says that office visits are by appointment - this rather means that best case scenario there are 1-2 people working in the office, who may go out for lunch, and in the worst case, the office will be rented for an hour specifically for a “performance” before your arrival.
GC "Fundament" is located in a large and bright office in the center of Moscow, which you can come to at any time work time without warning and see most of the working employees. Pre-registration is required only for visits on weekends and holidays.
Method six - undervaluation
This is the most popular and relatively legal way deceiving customers.
Often for Customers when choosing a Contractor key factor is not the reputation and name of the Company, but repair price. This is what unscrupulous builders most often take advantage of.
When concluding a contract, unscrupulous builders deliberately underestimate the cost of work and materials according to the estimate so that the choice of the Contractor falls on their Company. And after concluding a contract and completing part of the work, it turns out that the estimate does not include a large amount of necessary and very expensive work or materials for which you need to pay extra. As statistics and customer reviews show, the final cost of repairs upon completion increases several times.
Difficult to prevent for a layman this method fraud and the best way to prevent it is to contact a large company with a name.
On the website of the Fundament Group of Companies, how to choose the right designer or construction company and avoid falling for scammers.
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